LAMBERTVILLE: City budget will get hearing on Monday

By Linda Seida, Staff Writer
   LAMBERTVILLE — The city can move forward with its budget now that voters have approved a nearly 24-percent increase over the tax levy cap.
   The City Council will hold a public hearing to discuss the budget May 9 at 7 p.m. at the Justice Center, 25 S. Union St.
   The approval means voters have agreed to pay the cost of garbage and recycling collections through their property taxes rather than as a separate $200 fee. The separate fee was established last year, to many property owners’ dismay.
   The results of the referendum April 27 do not change the amount property owners will pay, but it does change the method of payment. Mayor David Del Vecchio last month gave two versions of a proposed city budget. The final version depended on the outcome of the referendum.
   Last year, the city charged a total of $430,000 for the service.
   Thanks to voter approval, the city will be permitted to increase the tax levy over the 2-percent cap by $430,000.
   The tax levy would be $2,207,975 on a total proposed budget of $4.26 million.
   The tax rate would increase from 24.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to 30.7 cents.
   The owner of a house assessed at this year’s city average of $357,866 would pay $1,099 in municipal property taxes.
   Last year, when the average assessment was $358,626 and the tax rate was 24.1 cents, the average homeowner paid $864.
   Mayor Del Vecchio said the spending plan would allow the city to pay off more debt in one year than ever before. The payment would equal about 15 percent of the budget, or $646,419.
   The proposed budget also would allow the popular Sparkle Week, a citywide cleanup and collection of heavier items, to be held this year.
   Approximately 18 percent of the budget would be paid out for pensions and benefits, or about $762,000.
   No salary increases are planned for city employees other than contractual increases for nine full-time police officers.
   There are two salary increases possible for half a year. They hinge on the acting clerk and the acting chief financial officer achieving certification.
   Some departments will continue to work with a reduced staff, a practice that began last year.